


Hallowed Be Thy Name

by The_Asexual_Avenger



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: I'm taking a lot of liberties here, M/M, Witch Trials AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 01:17:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3958993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Asexual_Avenger/pseuds/The_Asexual_Avenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As their eighteenth birthday draws near, Dipper and Mabel Pines bear witness as a terrifying hysteria grips Salem Village.  Old grudges and feuds turn deadly and no one is safe as the cry of witch rings throughout the community.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Sign of Spring

**Author's Note:**

> I will admit that I am taking a LOT of liberties here. And yes, there's a reason I'm setting this is Salem Village instead of Gravity Falls, and that will be addressed at some point. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

If there was indeed such a thing as eternity, Dipper Pines was certain he’d endured it already. The winters in Salem Village seemed to last as long, and aside from the pine trees and particular other evergreens, it seemed that winter paints the world in the same dreary pallet in which the villagers spend their lives. But when the spring finally arrived, heralded by the return of the robins and the appearance of the first flowers, it’s what Dipper imagines freedom to feel like.

Mabel reacted with the typical, barely reined in enthusiasm that their parents have been trying in vain to control since the girl learned how to run. 

“Dipper, look,” she squealed, gesturing to the snow-covered roadside. “I see yellow!”

She dashed to the supposed spot of color and fawned over the small blossoms, making Dipper laugh in spite of himself. 

“First bit of color in months,” he agreed. 

“I know! I was afraid the winter would never end.”

For Mabel, spring came with chores and excuses to get out of the house and breathe in the fresh air. Every winter their mother kept her excursions limited, the restraints growing more and more with every year that passed. She was rapidly approaching a marriageable age and their parents had already begun to draft a list of possible matches. 

“My sentiments exactly, Shooting Star,” a familiar voice called out, drawing the twins’ attention from the flower. 

“Bill,” Mabel shouted, abandoning the flower to fling herself at the older man. “Welcome back!”

The return of spring also meant the return of Bill Cipher, an orphan who had found his way to Salem Village nearly five years ago and took up whatever odd jobs he could find in order to earn his keep. When the winter came and the work load lightened, he set off for Salem Town, a port city with jobs aplenty year ‘round. 

But he always came back to Salem Village once winter released its grasp. 

“Your hair’s gotten so long,” Bill commented, running his fingers through Mabel’s windblown hair, amazed at its length. “Don’t your parents have a set of scissors handy? This is getting out of hand!”

Mabel stuck her tongue out at him. “Mother trimmed it months ago. And what about you?! Did someone go at your hair with a hatchet?”

“Too cruel, Shooting Star,” Bill pouted. “And Pine Tree! Look who finally hit his growth spurt!”

“I’m still taller,” Mabel sing-songed.

“By half a centimeter,” he retorted, face flushing a bit in embarrassment. 

Bill tisked and shook his head. “Never argue with a lady, Pine Tree. You’ll never win.”

Mabel giggled and Dipper rolled his eyes. 

“You came back just in time,” the brunet said, shifting the conversation away from his height. “I overheard some of the men discussing how soon to start the planting.”

“No rest for the wicked, hm,” Bill teased, adjusting his pack. “I’ll hunt them down tomorrow; right now I need to go see if Mariah still has that spare room saved for me.”

“I’m sure she does,” Mabel assured, the three making their way back to the village. “All she talks about all winter is when you’ll come back. I think she fancies you!”

Bill laughed. “I can promise you that she’s not my type, Shooting Star.” 

“Why not? She’s pretty, she’s nice, she’s the only fun person in the entire village when you’re not here—”

“Mabel,” Dipper cried, a bit slighted. 

“Oh, come on, Dipper,” Mabel replied with a grin, “the only person who talks about Bill over winter more than Mariah is you!”

“Shut up,” he hissed, blushing furiously. 

“Aww,” Bill cooed. “You missed me!”

“Did not,” the boy immediately contradicted. “Mabel’s right; Salem Village is just boring without you around. You’re always getting into trouble—and dragging me along with you!”

“It’s not like I yank you around by the neck, kid,” the blond pointed out. “You’re free to say no and go spend a few hours doing penance or whatever your father makes you do when he thinks you’ve had fun.”

Bill’s contempt for religion was well known in the village; the only reason he was allowed back at all was because he was a good source of cheap labor. Since he was more of an outsider than one of the congregation, most of the village was willing to look the other way so long as Bill made himself useful. It was part of the reason he left for Salem Town ever winter; in the village he’d only push the villagers too far. In Salem Town, at least, he could retain some form of anonymity. 

“Try not to anger the entire village on your first day back,” Mabel chided. 

“There’s always the shipyards,” Bill replied, nonchalant save for the terrible grin on his face. 

Mabel made a sound of exaggerated disgust. “Who wants to work in some stinking shipyard when you can spend your time here? Our fresh air is fresher!”

“You make a strong point, Shooting Star,” Bill admitted. “You should be a lawyer!”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she reprimanded, but the smile on her face betrayed how much the comment meant to her. 

Unlike her brother, Mabel had dreams far larger than any reverend’s daughter was allowed to have. Every so often, she’d express a desire to run away, to shuck the responsibilities and expectations their parents had for her and live her life on her own terms. Mabel wanted more for her life than to get married and spend the rest of her life bearing children, and, quick frankly, so did Dipper. 

When the village was once again in sight, Mabel immediately apologized for her departure and went off with a gaggle of other village girls; hopefully their parents wouldn’t catch wind that she’d gone to welcome Bill back to Salem Village if she spent the rest of her day with the other women. 

“I’m guessing your father hasn’t mellowed with age yet?”

Dipper shook his head. “No, and he and Mother have been especially hard on Mabel lately. They’re starting to talk about marrying her off, since we’ll be turning eighteen at the end of summer.”

“Eighteen already,” Bill replied with a low whistle. “What about you, kid? Your parents plotting which poor girl they’ll throw at you?”

“If they are, they haven’t said anything and I don’t want to know,” he answered, shuddering a bit. “If I have my way, I won’t marry at all.”

“You could always run off and become a pirate,” the blond suggested. 

Dipper chuckled at the thought. “Me, a pirate? Could you even imagine?”

“Just a suggestion, Pine Tree. And speaking of suggestions, turns out I’m back just in time for the solstice. Think you could get away from your overbearing parents long enough to do a bit of exploring?”

The brunet gave him a grateful smile. “You know, I think I might be able to manage it.”


	2. No One Sins Quite Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to have this up back on Sunday, but whatevs. Can't say I'm entirely happy with how this turned out, but I'm trying to get back on a deadline schedule and I'm already two days overdue. Besides, there's always time to revise it later, right? Right! So try to enjoy this part while I work on getting the plot going. We'll have the hysteria setting in either in the next chapter or in chapter four!

One of the key lessons children in the village learned was that the woods were dangerous at the best of times. The adults told tales of monsters ranging from Indians and bears to witches and devils in hopes of frightening the children into obedience. Bill had been the one to lure Dipper into the woods the first time, stealing the boy’s book and forcing him to give chase, not stopping until they were deep in the woods and well beyond the sight of the village. It had taken all of two minutes and more than a few explanations before Dipper was already planning his next excursion into the woods. 

“You should’ve seen their faces,” Bill crowed. “I haven’t seen so much distain for one person since I was banned from betting games.” 

“Don’t let Father catch you saying that,” Dipper warned, “or come Sunday he’ll subject us all to a lengthy sermon on the evils of card games.”

“What does your father preach about while I’m gone? Seems like he gets all his good ideas from me!”

“He always finds something. When he’s really looking, he’ll rant about Salem Town and how it’ll burn like Sodom and Gomorrah.” 

“Sodom and Gomorrah, huh?” Bill grinned. “I don’t really know that story, Pine Tree, but Sodom sounds like my kind of place.”

Dipper blushed bright red, which only made the blond howl with laughter. 

“Six years,” the blond wheezed. “We’ve known each other for six years, and you still blush like mad.”

“Oh, hush,” the brunet retorted, swallowing as he tried to get rid of his blush. 

“Besides, you don’t have to act out here,” Bill added, drawing closer to Dipper. 

Reflex rather than intent had Dipper back away until he found his path blocked by a tree. 

“Bill—”

“Don’t, kid,” he replied, leaning closer. 

Dipper’s heart sped up, beating wildly in his chest as Bill closed the distance between them. The blond was warm, so warm, compared to the chill of early spring and Dipper melted against the rough bark as their lips met. His hands gripped Bill’s coat, a bit of purchase so he could return the kiss. Bill had been gone for nearly half a year, leaving within a few days of the first snowfall, and it had felt even longer. 

The kiss broke into Bill littering Dipper’s neck with nips as they moved just enough to lose the backing of the tree, tumbling down into a small snowbank. 

“It’s been too long,” Dipper gasped, Bill never ceasing in his assault as he adjusted his position. “Thought the winter would never end.”

The snow was cold even through the thick fabric of his cloak, but all Dipper could think of was Bill. The blond eased up in his ministrations, returning his lips to Dipper’s and the brunet’s back arched slightly in an attempt to get closer. 

“Thought about coming back early,” Bill admitted. “Wanted to steal you away, bring you with me.”

In some ways, it scared him just how desperately he wanted to say yes. His dreams were filled with images of an all-too-idealistic future, somewhere perfect and nonexistent where they could live their lives without fear of discovery and Mabel could be everything she wanted. If his father and the Bible were to be believed, those dreams would be the closest to Heaven Dipper would ever get.

“Can’t leave without Mabel,” Dipper pointed out as the blond reined himself in, turning fevered kisses into something far more intimate. 

“We’d bring her with us,” Bill replied. “I wouldn’t separate you two, kid; what’s precious to you is precious to me.”

“And what’s precious to you is precious to me,” Dipper added, and Bill’s usual arrogant grin melted into something a great deal softer. 

“Gods, how I’ve missed you.”

“Hopefully we’ll get more than six months this time.”

Bill laughed a bit at that, pushing himself up. “Have I ever told you about an old Greek myth explaining the seasons?”

“No, I don’t think you have,” the brunet admitted, taking Bill’s offered hand and righting himself. 

He told a story about a young goddess named Persephone and how she lived in an eternal springtime. Her beauty and loveliness caught the eye of Hades, the ruler of the Underworld, who fell in love with her and wanted her as his bride. The way Bill described it all left Dipper’s imagination spinning. He’d always had a talent for weaving words into paintings only the mind could see. 

“And so, Persephone swallowed the pomegranate seeds,” Bill continued. “But she was only able to swallow six of them before she was taken away from her husband. As a compromise, Zeus decreed that she would spend six months in the Underworld with her husband while she’d spend the rest of the year with her mother.”

“So Demeter becomes sorrowful while Persephone is with her husband, and that’s why we have fall and winter,” Dipper simplified. “It seems a bit selfish to me.”

“Which part?”

“Destroying the world just to get her daughter back. If Hades took her by force, I’d understand, but you said he sought permission?”

Bill hummed in confirmation as they made their way through the woods. The light was already starting to fade, which grated on the blond’s nerves something fierce. Six months seemed all at once blessedly long and terribly short. Every passing year made it harder and harder to leave his lover behind, and discretion was quickly becoming something akin to torture. 

“And she ate the seeds willingly. She wanted to stay with him.”

“Some people tell it differently,” Bill admitted. “A lot of people like to make Hades a villain and Persephone a victim.”

Dipper paused and mulled over the comment. 

“It seems to me that people like to do that quite often. Cast villains and victims where none exist.”

Bill shrugged. “Humans are pretty simple; if they can, they paint the world in black and white. Why do you think belief in a single god is such a popular trend?”

“Is that why you left Europe?”

“In a way, I guess,” Bill confessed. “It was either play the victim and leave or stay and become a villain myself. I was a kid; I chose to live a bit longer.”

“I’m glad you came,” Dipper confided. “Whatever the reason, I’m glad.”

The blond grinned. “I’m glad I came over, too. If I’d known you were waiting over here for me, I would’ve made the trip sooner.”

A smile graced Dipper’s face, but it fell when he noticed the fading light. 

“We should probably go back,” he sighed, resignation in his voice. “Father won’t be happy if I arrive home after dark.”

“I’d walk you home, but I doubt your father would be any happier to see me.”

“Sunday’s summon will be very interesting now that you’re back,” Dipper commented with a laugh as they made their way out of the woods. “Maybe now he’ll ease up on Mariah.”

“He’s been picking on her all winter?”

“She runs the only tavern around,” the brunet pointed out. “Not to mention she’s got a thing for bright colors. Father’s had it out for her since she took over ownership.”

“She inherited the place from her father! So what if it’s successful?”

Dipper gave his lover a dry look. 

“Fair point, Pine Tree,” Bill conceded. 

With the village in sight, the blond grabbed Dipper’ wrist. 

“Can you meet me again on the solstice,” he asked, his voice low and breath warm on Dipper’s ear. 

“I’ll try,” Dipper promised. “Now get going before Father catches you.”

Bill smiled and took off for Mariah’s tavern as Dipper made his way back to the house he shared with his family.


	3. For The Sake Of The Sister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap I owe you guys so many chapters. Sorry it's been so long; I've been desperately trying to get a new job in order to leave my old one and I'm about 90% certain I've succeeded. By my count, I owe you guys at least three chapters. So, in order to make up for the slack, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow and the chapter after that on Sunday.

The candles were still burning in the windows, and Dipper winced at the sight. The good reverend was likely still awake, and he was the last person Dipper wanted to encounter after such a nice day. After six months, spring had finally arrived and summer was fast approaching and Bill was back. Dipper had been waiting for this day for months; he was determined not to let any disagreement with his father take away the joy of the day. 

“Dipper, sweetheart, you’re late,” Elizabeth Pines whispered as Dipper made his way in through the kitchen door. 

Dipper’s mother was a tall, reedy woman with hair the color of straw that curled around her face when she freed it from the plain covering she typically wore in daylight. Her skin was pale, face hollowed slightly from a long and weary life. But she was his mother, and his staunchest ally in the face of his father. 

“Apologies, Mother,” he replied, hanging his snow-dipped cloak on the hook. “I lost track of the time.”

“You were out in the woods again,” she rephrased, and Dipper still possessed enough shame to flush in embarrassment. “Sweetheart, you must be careful. With winter fading the woods will become more and more dangerous. Who knows what sorts of beasts have already left their yearly slumber in search of food.”

“Mother, I am careful,” he insisted, shaking a few snowflakes from his hair. “I know the woods well.”

“Still,” she insisted. “Now, you’d best go into the main room. But take care to hold that tongue of yours.”

“Why should I hold my tongue?”

The answer came as soon as Dipper peered at the table in the center of the main room. Mabel sat at the far end, hands fisted in her lap and her gaze stubbornly affixed to the floor as she smoldered with utter fury. Across from her, back to the kitchen, sat a young man with hair too gray for his age. What in God’s name was Gideon Gleeful of all people doing at the Pines residence at such a late hour?

“Ah, Samuel,” Reverend Pines announced, catching sight of his only son. “Spring has barely begun and already you’re coming home late.”

“That drifter, Cipher, returned to the village today,” Gideon pointed out, twisting in his chair to give Dipper a sickly sweet smile. “Perhaps our dear Samuel simply lost track of time visiting his friend.”

“Ha, Cipher.” The reverend said the name like a curse. “Figures he’d come back; that boy will do anything for a bit of coin.”

Dipper grit his teeth, clenching the frame of the doorway. For reasons he couldn’t begin to imagine, his father had taken a liking to Gideon. Where Dipper only saw a greedy, borderline violent swindler, Reverend Pines saw a sweet young man interested in entering the clergy. The white-haired villain had been trying to woo Mabel for years, and Dipper had thought he and Bill had managed to frighten Gideon off last summer. An entire winter without him harassing Mabel. Perhaps it really had been too good to be true.

“Father,” Dipper greeted, making his way into the room. 

Without hesitation, he took his seat as close to his sister as he could. She hated Gideon almost as much as he did, and she’d need all of the support he could give her. He offered her his hand under the table, and she took it with a strong grasp and squeezed it in search of comfort. 

“We’ll discuss the matter with that Cipher boy later,” Reverend Pines continued. “There are more important matters to address at the moment. Now, Gideon, what have you to offer my daughter?”

Dipper’s eyes widened. Gideon approached their father about marriage? Mabel was biting her lip; if she applied anymore pressure, she’d break the skin and start bleeding. He squeezed her hand; there was no way he was going to give Mabel up to Gideon without a fight. He’d talk her into joining a nunnery if he had to. 

“My father has given me control over a third of his company,” Gideon replied, his words sickly sweet and Dipper could only glare at him. “He decided that I am now old enough to begin building up my own source of means.”

“Excellent to hear, congratulations. Have you experienced success?”

“Nothing all too impressive,” Gideon admitted in a way that seemed like he was trying too hard to come off as humble. Dipper’s glare darkened. “But I have had enough that I now feel justified in asking you for your lovely daughter’s hand in marriage.”

Mabel’s grip tightened and Dipper felt like he could break something. 

“And what if Mabel doesn’t want your proposal,” Dipper cut in, unable to keep his anger bottled up much more.

“Samuel,” Reverend Pines warned. “Mabel’s opinions will be considered in this matter, but for now we are merely discussing this. Nothing has been made final.”

That was an utter lie and they all knew it. Reverend Pines had a bit of a soft spot for Gideon—most of the town did, even Mariah, who claimed he was just too much of a gentleman to properly hate. As far as their father was concerned, the whole discussion was pretense. Gideon was entitled to Mabel, in his mind, and Mabel he would have. And it would over Dipper’s dead body, if he had anything to do with it. 

“I would never want to force dear Mabel into anything she doesn’t want,” Gideon assured. Lies. “I will wait for my beloved as long as it takes.”

“Then you’ll be waiting forever,” Mabel said, standing up and rushing away from the table. 

She left past Dipper, not giving their father the opportunity to grab her and keep her in the room. Reverend Pines hollered after her, Mabel not responding with anything more than the slam of her bedroom door. That bit of defiance would cost her later, but for now, Dipper could only feel a smug sense of relief. His sister wouldn’t go down without a fight anymore than he would. 

“Gideon, I apologize for my daughter’s rash behavior. You may come calling again tomorrow; perhaps by then she’ll have come to her senses.”

“No need for apologies, Reverend,” Gideon insisted with the same poisoned sweetness that made Dipper want to wring his fat neck. “Marriage is such an important step to take; she’s likely just afraid.”

“Regardless, she should have showed far more restraint,” the reverend replied. “I pray your journey home will be safe.”

“Thank you, Reverend Pines,” Gideon answered with a bow. 

The elder Pines made his way up the stairs, his wife following after him in hopes of doing enough damage control to calm her husband’s temper. Dipper rose from his chair and affixed the blossoming merchant with a dark look. 

“We both know Mabel will never say yes to you,” he pointed out. “She hates you almost as much as I do.”

“We may have had our differences in the past, Samuel,” Gideon replied, drawing out Dipper’s hated given name with a terrible grin, “but you and I both know I’m going to have dear Mabel as my wife. It’s only a matter of time.”

“Over my dead body,” Dipper growled. “If you so much as touch her, I will—”

“Is that any way for a reverend’s son to speak?” Gideon tisked in mock condemnation. “You spend far too much time with that drifter.”

“He’s more of a gentleman than you,” the brunet sniped. “Now get out of my house and stay away from my sister.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Pines,” Gideon remarked. “I do love your sister dearly, and it’s well known that she won’t be able to do much better than me. You should be happy! I can provide your dear sister with the life she deserves.”

“She deserves a great deal better than you.”

“And that’s where we differ,” Gideon acknowledged, opening the door. “Fair well, Samuel Pines.”

Dipper punched the wall as the door closed. The sharp pain cut through the haze of his anger and he cradled his injured hand to his chest. Perhaps he should take Bill up on his offer; if nothing else, see if Bill would be willing to get Mabel away from Salem Village and where Gideon Gleeful can’t reach her. 

With a deep breath, Dipper let go of his hand and made his way up to his own room. It had once been a large, single room, but when their parents decided the twins had gotten too old to share a room, their father had erected a wall down the middle of it, splitting the room into two. Something about protecting Mable’s virtue, which Dipper didn’t understand at all. She was his sister; he was just as invested in defending her virtue as their parents. But what’s done was done, and they’d managed to make peace with it over the past few years. Mabel had even tore a hole into the wall, right between their beds, so they could continue to speak to each other when the nights were long and lonely. 

So Dipper wasn’t at all surprised when he heard Mabel’s voice near his ear. Their mother had managed to calm their father’s temper and the two had gone off to bed as well. Now that the house was silent and they were alone, Mabel reached out.

“Dipper?”

“Mabel? Mabel, are you alright?”

“He wants to marry me,” she whispered back, her voice despondent. “He wants to marry me and Father will let him.”

“Well I won’t,” Dipper vowed. “We’ll figure something out, Mabel, I promise. You won’t marry Gideon.”

Mabel sounded utterly wrecked, like she’d been crying for hours. Dipper’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. No way was Gideon going to force Mabel into marriage. Mabel deserved so much better than that. 

“You mean it?”

“Mabel, I swear to you: Gideon won’t so much as lay eyes on you again if there’s anything I can do about it.”

“But what can we do?”

“I can ask Bill,” he offered.

“Bill? What could he do?”

“He could help smuggle you out of the village, get you somewhere Gideon would never be able to find you.”

“Dipper Pines, if the word nunnery comes out of your mouth, I will slap you.”

Dipper chuckled. “No way. You’d never last as a nun.”

“Somehow I feel as though I should take that as an insult,” Mabel replied, her tone dry. 

“I’m going to meet Bill for the solstice,” Dipper continued, returning the discussion to a more serious note. “I’ll ask him then if we can get you out.”

“What do you two do when you disappear for the solstice,” she asked. 

“Explore, talk, that sort of stuff,” Dipper answered with a shrug. 

“There’s more to it than that, Dipper,” she prodded. “I know there is.”

“Fine,” he relented. “We...kiss. And...hug. And dance.”

“You dance?” Mabel giggled on her side of the wall. “Father would have a fit.”

“That’s why he can’t know,” Dipper replied. “And I don’t know what he’d be more upset about: the dancing, the ritual, or me and Bill.”

“Could I come with you this time,” Mabel asked, her voice a bit small. “It’s just...I don’t want to be on my own in the next few days if I can help it.”

Dipper worried his bottom lip. “I’ll ask Bill tomorrow,” he promised. 

“Thank you, Dipper,” she whispered, probably smiling in that sweet, sincere way she did when she was truly happy. “I hope he can help us.”

“I know he will,” the brunet assured. “Try and get some sleep.”

Mabel whispered her good nights, and Dipper returned them, curling up in his bed and facing the wall. He was going to protect her from Gideon if it was the last thing he ever did. Even if it meant smuggling her out of the entire colonies themselves, he’d do it. For Mabel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hysteria won't set in until Chapter 5, it seems. But the plot's starting to roll now! And yeah, I decided to give Dipper a name for this one; I don't really see his father as the sort of person to use a nickname in this AU. The next chapter will be up some time tomorrow!


	4. A Plan Is Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of additional exposition, so the action's going to heat up next chapter! Hope you enjoy this installment!

Dipper’s reentry to the waking world was sudden and abrupt as Mabel came crashing into his room, barricading his door with her body. He damn near jumped a foot out of his bed at the sudden noise, rubbing his eyes as he tried to bring the world into focus. 

“Mabel...? What the—”

“He’s here,” she hissed. “Gideon’s here and I’m lucky I heard him before I went downstairs for breakfast.”

“What? Why in God’s name is he here so damn early?” Dipper groaned as he got off his bed. Sleep would have to wait; Mabel in a panic was always a state that had to be tended to before sleep could be at all considered. 

“I don’t know,” she quietly wailed. “I thought I’d have until mid-morning before I had to make myself scarce.”

“We’ll get you out of here,” Dipper promised, sleepily grabbing a shirt and trousers. 

A direct result of them being twins, Dipper was the only person Mabel wasn’t embarrassed to catch in any state of undress. As children she would often tease him about his reedy arms and legs, much to his ire. She replaced her body with a chair in order to hold the door, setting about to pacing as quietly as she could manage. 

“This throws off my entire plan for the day,” she muttered to herself. “I might have to go hide out in Mariah’s tavern just to avoid him! Oh, but that would irritate Father and I’m still trying to decide if I’d rather deal with Gideon or deal with an upset Father.”

“The most he’ll do is lock you in your without supper and force you to study particular Bible verses,” Dipper assured. 

“He’ll make me read verses about being a good wife and I’m not ready for any of that,” she retorted. “Mariah’s nice; she won’t tell Father and she’d probably let me sneak up to her rooms through the back. Oh, maybe I could disguise myself as a boy and sneak out into the woods for the day.”

“Uh, I’d rather you not, Mabel,” Dipper cut in. 

“Why? You and Bill won’t be able to go to the woods today, anyway,” she pointed out. “Pacifica’s father is planning to have the plowing and planting start as soon as possible, so Bill will likely be working for him for the next few weeks.”

Dipper muttered a curse under his breath; Preston Northwest was the wealthiest man in Salem Village and as such owned most of the farmland. Bill would be working those fields from sunrise to sunset for at least three weeks. And that was provided that Mr. Northwest wasn’t planning on adding on another field or two, which would require clearing and call Bill to work for another two weeks. Bill needed the money and Dipper understood that, but after six incredibly long months apart, he wanted nothing more than to spend hours out in the wood far enough from the village so no one could hear him screaming Bill’s name. 

“We’ll get you out of the house and to Mariah’s,” Dipper decided. “At least there you can do whatever you want without having to worry about Father catching you.”

Mabel’s eyes lit up and she rushed over to the corner where they’d hidden away many of the projects she’d decided to try out after seeing them done at the markets the few times they’d accompanied their father to Salem Town as children. Father denounced it all as sinful, and Mabel wasn’t stupid enough to do any of it where he could see it. So a hidden compartment in Dipper’s room it was. 

She pulled out a plain cloth bag which held all of the yarn and fabric and what other supplies she utilized when she decided to spend the day in sin, smiling triumphantly as she showed it off to him. Dipper smiled as he straightened his clothes and made sure he looked completely normal. Considering they were already pushing it by sneaking out and going over to Mariah’s, they needed to arouse the least amount of suspicion possible. 

“Oh, no, Dipper, my cloak! It’s still down by the kitchen door,” she moaned. 

“Shit, so’s mine,” he muttered. “We’ll have to go without today. I hope it’s warm.”

Dipper opened the window, checking to make sure the coast was clear. His room was, luckily enough, right above the woodpile. If they were careful, like usual, they could climb down the pile without toppling anything. 

“Alright, Mabel, I’ll climb down first,” he said, already straddling the windowsill. “Meet you down.”

His sister nodded and Dipper began his descent down to the ground, cursing Gideon’s untimely arrival with every breathe he took. Maybe it was just because Mabel was his twin and he’d been stuck with her since birth, but Dipper had no idea why Gideon was so interested in her. Mabel would make a terrible wife—at least in the Puritan tradition. No way Gideon would let her do half the stuff she wants to, and there was the issue of the mutual hatred Dipper and Gideon shared ensuring that Dipper would likely never see Mabel again if Gideon got his way. Twins had to stick together, as Bill had pointed out nearly six summers ago, back when they’d first met. 

As soon as his feet were planted firmly on the ground, Mabel swung herself over the windowsill. The dress made climbing difficult in any direction, one of the many problems with typical feminine attire, but she made it down safely. Without so much as a grin, the twins took off for Mariah’s tavern as fast as they dared. 

Mariah’s tavern was set up just outside of the village. She grew most of what she served in the orchard surrounding her property, and Mariah apparently made one of the best apple pies in the entire colony of Massachusetts. Since she’d inherited the business from her late father—having no brothers to take it over—Mariah put a great deal of work into keeping it up. A successful business woman at just nineteen, Mariah had been the talk of the town for the last three years. 

“Slow down, you two,” Mariah said as the twins rushed into the tavern. “Where’s the fire?”

“Gideon,” Mabel gasped. “My house...hide me!”

The brunette raised an eyebrow. “I still don’t understand what repulses you so much about him, but alright. There’s a vacant room just up the stairs to your left. I want you out of there by four this afternoon, or I’ll charge you for the night.”

“Thank you so much, Mariah,” Mabel replied, snatching the offered key.

“What the hell are you two doing here?”

The twins looked back to see Bill, still looking a bit sleep tousled, coming down the stairs from the inn portion of the tavern. His hair was an absolute mess, but the rest of him was presentable enough. He was probably going to go meet with Preston Northwest about work for the next few weeks, Dipper decided.

“Gideon Gleeful is at our house,” Mabel explained. “I have no desire at all to deal with him today, so Dipper was kind enough to help me out and get me here!”

Bill hummed in acknowledgement, giving Dipper the sort of grin that meant some sort of mischief was close at hand. 

“What a good brother you are, Pine Tree,” the blond commented, causing Dipper’s face to flush. 

“It was either bring her here or risk hitting Gideon,” Dipper retorted.

“Oh, Bill,” Mabel cut in, “since Gideon’s resumed trying to court me, I was wondering if maybe I could spend some time with you and Dipper for the next few days.”

Bill gave him a brief look; he knew exactly what Mabel was asking, considering she was the only person who knew what his own religious convictions were other than Dipper. Mabel joining them on the solstice meant less time to themselves, and if Northwest was really going to start the plowing and planting as early as they claimed, time together was already going to be in short supply. But while Bill didn’t have the same vendetta against Gideon that the Pines twins did, Gideon wasn’t exactly Bill’s favorite person.

“Fine, Shooting Star,” Bill relented. “Pine Tree and I will protect you from Mr. Gleeful.”

He gave her a teasing grin, and Mabel playfully shoved him. “Oh be nice,” she chided. 

“Well, I’m going to head up to my room,” she added, twirling the key in her hand. “Dipper, will you come get me when the coast is clear?”

“Of course,” he promised, watching his sister make her way up to the inn. 

“I’m heading out to Northwest Manor,” Bill commented once Mabel’s skirts vanished from sight. “Walk with me?”

Dipper gave him a grateful smile. “Anything to keep me from home for a bit.”

The early spring air was still fairly chilly, and Dipper wished he’d been able to grab his cloak before leaving the house. No doubt his and Mabel’s absence had already been discovered, much to their father’s ire. They’d likely get an earful when they returned home, but the longer Dipper could stay away, the better he’d be able to handle the inevitable fallout.

“As much as I understand why your sister wants to come with,” Bill muttered as they made their way through the village, “I have to admit, I’m rather disappointed that I won’t be able to get you in the Great Rite.”

Dipper’s face flushed. “Don’t say that,” he half-heartedly snapped. 

“You Puritans,” Bill teased. “How on earth do you people ever manage to procreate if this is how you react when sex comes up?”

“Bill,” Dipper warned, face turning beet red. 

“Alright, alright,” the blond replied. “So long as it’s just your sister, we should be fine.”

“Mabel knows better than to breathe a word of any of this,” he assured. “She knows what the consequences would be—especially for you.”

“Still want to stick around when winter returns,” Bill asked, giving Dipper a wry grin. 

“With Father pressuring Mabel to marry Gideon, I’m beginning to rethink my stance on the matter,” Dipper admitted. “If I said yes, and Mabel agreed, how soon do you think you could get us out of here?”

From the safety of a large oak, Bill pulled them off the road and kissed Dipper’s hand. 

“For you, Pine Tree, we could be gone by Beltane.”

Dipper smiled as Bill righted himself. 

“Beltane it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It just occurred to me that I should probably clarify a few things here since it's highly likely that hardly anyone reading this is knowledgeable of Wicca or witchcraft or anything pagan. So, the Great Rite mentioned here is essentially ritualistic sex. It can be done "in true" or "in token," which basically means you can actually have sex or you can symbolize it instead, and there are a number of different ways the rite can be performed. If you'd like to read more, you can check out this page: http://www.paganspath.com/magik/greatrite.htm which has a good amount of info on the Great Rite. 
> 
> Secondly, Beltane. Beltane is one of the Eight Sabbats in Wiccan/Pagan culture. It takes place on or around May 1st (what we call May Day) and is the last of the spring fertility celebrations. It's oftentimes referred to as the marriage of the God and Goddess. 
> 
> If there's anything else that you have questions on that I forgot to mention/explain/clarify, feel free to leave a comment about it! See you in the next chapter!


End file.
